Unpredictable
by pianomusicfreak11
Summary: Ravi never felt IN LOVE. IT was never really destined for him. But, with the pull of a bench and the tap of a key, there she was. ONE-SHOT! I finished this on a whim, but hope you enjoy it! REVIEWS APPRECIATED! Rated T for the reason of whatever/some darker themes..?


**Hi, community of Fanfiction! Yes, this is a one-shot. Yes, this includes and OC of mine. No, it isn't Claire. And no, Luke's not falling in love in this one. It's the younger, calmer, Hindi-muttering cutie… Ravi! Yeah, that was kind of uncalled for, but he barely gets any recognition, you ever see that? When you're looking for Fanfics to read, and all you do is read LukexOC ones, or JessiexLuke ones, or EmmaxLuke ones… yeah, no. (Though I kinda like the LukexConnie ones, because they're really good. **_**Don't judge me**_**.) The lizard-loving boy deserves some romance of his own! And no, it isn't with Connie. Let's just think that they maybe… grew apart? Whatever… smh. **

_**Disclaimer: **__**I don't own JESSIE or anything affiliated with it. Any other companies that you recognise, yeah, they're not mine.**_

In reality, he never saw himself with anyone for a long period of time. Or ever. But, he was Ravi K Ross, his life was _always_ unpredictable. His best friend was a _female_ lizard (something he didn't realize until she had babies), his parents were a famous model/ fashion designer and big time movie director, and he had three siblings, let alone the _still maturing_ nanny that watched over them.

As he strolled through the busy streets of New York, he pondered on his adolescence. Everyone his age was attracted to someone, some people even younger than him. But he never actually _felt_ attraction towards someone. That was, until she scurried past with a few books in her hands and her dark hair flying around her. Her bronze skin shone in the sun as she stumbled to pick up her pace. She dropped a book as she was going, unaware it was missing.

When Ravi walked close enough, he picked up the tattered book that lay on the asphalt. _The Kite Runner. _Huh. He heard about the book various times. Even seen its critical acclaim for it online. He read the summary on the back of the book, then proceeded to walk aimlessly down the sidewalk.

Keeping the paperback by his side, he spotted her walking across the street towards his residence. He followed along, quickening his pace. Once he reached a close enough distance, he yelled. "Excuse me, miss! You have dropped something!"

Startled, she looked behind her and saw him. After she stopped walking, Ravi handed her the book. The crowd around them sighed exasperatedly as they tried to move around the two young teens. "Thanks," she said, gingerly taking it from his grasp. He looked at her face; freckles dotted on her nose and cheeks, and vibrant green eyes. She had perfect skin, and good eyebrows.

"Is it good?" he asked.

"…what?" she asked, flustered.

"The book. Is it good?" he asked once again.

She looked contemplative, looking at the book. "I wouldn't know. I just got it today from the library."

"Oh," he said awkwardly. "Well, I must be off then." He started walking towards his building when he was called.

"-Wait!" the girl yelled.

He turned towards her, stumbling over his own legs. She snorted, but regained her composure. "Thanks."

He nodded, turning back to the direction of his destination.

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"Ravi, remember, Zuri's piano teacher will be here any minute, so when she comes, Zuri better be ready." Jessie stated as she was walking around the apartment getting ready.

"You do not need to worry, Jessie. Just enjoy yourself on your date with Tony." Ravi reassured. She smiled warmly at him as she retreated into the elevator.

"The food's on the stove, and make sure Emma and Luke come back from that thing they went to."

He sighed, shooing her off. The young adult snickered as the ornate doors closed, leaving the apartment silent except for the jingle from the TV in the theatre room, where the youngest Ross child was watching a show.

Thinking, he opted for waiting down in the living room while waiting for Zuri's piano teacher. As he lounged on the sofa, the thoughts of the girl swirled through his head. The way her hair framed her face, her freckles against that tanned skin. He thought she was a god-

"Excuse me? Is this the Ross residence?" spoke a familiar voice from the elevator.

Ravi stood from his spot on the sofa to greet the girl. "Greetings, welcome to our humble abode."

She squeaked, eyes wide. "You-! The guy that-!"

"That gave you back your book. You're my sister's piano teacher, I presume? _Zuri, get over here! Your piano teacher is waiting for you!_"

The twelve year old bounded down the steps through the curtain shadowing the theatre room. Her lanky demeanor showed to be brushed aside as she pushed her brother out of the room with the force of an angry bull. "_Get out, Ravi! She's here to teach me piano, not for you to ogle at for an hour!_"

"Uh, it's okay if he wants to stay in the room, you know. Just as long as he doesn't disrupt the lesson." The girl informed her timidly.

"It's fine. I was about to have dinner anyways." Ravi said. Walking towards the kitchen, he pointed to Zuri, a sign to her saying '_Don't mess this up.' _ She only smirked as the teacher pulled the bench from under the piano.

"Okay, so let's get started…"

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After a few weeks, Ravi finally got the chance to sit in at one of Zuri's piano lessons. Sydney, or Syd, as she liked to call herself was actually from his school. He didn't discover that until he actually spotted her walking down the hallway talking with her friend. (He almost, _almost_ got whiplash after he turned back to verify if he was hallucinating or not.) Emma and Luke met her as well, though they were barely at home, due to their groups of friends always inviting them somewhere or other on weekends and holidays.

"Okay Zuri. What do you want to play for me first?" Sydney asked, writing into her notebook.

"Nothing." Zuri replied straightly. Sydney laughed, and Ravi realized her laugh was the most beautiful sound he'd ever hear. "Well, you have to play something, or else I'll just choose for you."

"Okay," Zuri succumbed, scrutinizing the sheet paper before her. "The Pachelbel."

Sydney nodded for the girl to play. "Let's hear it then."

As Zuri played, Sydney swayed to the music, nodding at the valid points played. Whenever there was a sour note, she reminded Zuri, "It's an A. Don't worry, you'll be able to finish this today." And they continued on.

True to her word, Zuri did finish the piece on that same day, and Syd treated her and Ravi to ice cream.

As they munched on their creamy goodness, Syd was talking to both Ross kids. "So, how long have you to been in New York?"

"Not that long. I've been here for about three years." Ravi replied, licking his chocolate cone.

"I can't remember when I was here. It's been a long time." Zuri added, finished with her ice cream.

Sydney nodded in understanding. "So Ravi, any girlfriends yet?"

He flinched at the question, so close to dropping his ice cream. "Uh… n-not really." She chuckled at his actions, then continued to eat her cold concoction. Yeah. This wasn't a date.

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The next time he saw Sydney, he was in the Tribeca area visiting one of his sick friends. She was struggling with the grocery bags in her hands as she was walking through the sea of people. "S-Sydney!" he called.

She cautiously looked around at the people surrounding her. Ravi waved, catching her attention as he jogged toward her.

"Oh hey, Ravi." She smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "How are you?"

"I'm good, you know. Same old, same old." He explained. "And you? It's been a long time."

She looked at him sceptically. "…I was at your house yesterday." He froze in his spot, eyes wide. '_Idiot. You shouldn't have said that! Now she probably thinks that you're a creeper.'_ He thought while mentally face-palming himself. He unfroze, noting that she was still struggling with her grocery bags.

"Do you need any help? I could be of assistance to you…" he offered, gesturing towards the mass of plastic bags.

"Oh," she jumped, "Uh, yeah, I guess. If you'd want to."

Ravi grinned as he bent and picked up three of the five bags that lay on the pavement. He handed her the last two bags, both light as he handled the heavy ones. As they walked down Chambers Street and onto the bridge overlooking West Street, Sydney noticed Ravi struggling with his three bags. She giggled at his attempt to hold them all in one hand.

"You know, I do not appreciate the humor behind my struggles to help you bring these immensely heavy groceries to your home." He interrupted.

She stopped long enough to see his face morphed into an annoyed expression. "Okay, then. Let's switch some bags around and see how that works out." She took one of her bags and replaced it with one in Ravi's possession, and he sighed in relief at the weight lifted from his arms. "Better?" she asked, chuckling.

"Better." He reassured her. "Not if I mind you asking, but how long will it take until we reach your house?"

"_Apartment_," she corrected. "And it's just a few blocks down from here."

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"_A few blocks"_ was an understatement. It took them twenty minutes to get to Sydney's apartment complex on North End Avenue. As she greeted the people working in the lobby, Ravi was forced to nod and follow her to the elevator at the end of the room. He could hear chatter as he passed by them. Whispers of "Is he her boyfriend?" and "I don't know, but he sure is cute" alerted his ears and caused them to turn pink.

"This is very uncomfortable," he said tightly as he smiled at the people passing.

"Get over it, Ravi. It's just a bunch of people." She hissed, walking as quickly as her legs could take her to that elevator.

"A bunch of people that I do not know." He snapped back. They entered the elevator as Ravi emitted a loud sigh into the tense air.

"You realize that you're as dense as a black hole, right?" Sydney criticized as she backhanded him.

"Hey! Don't blame me for not knowing anybody in this building!" he defended.

The elevator doors opened to reveal the seventh floor of the apartment complex. Sydney stepped through the threshold and into the dim hallway of the complex. Ravi nervously followed her to the door of her suite. She retrieved the key and unlocked the door, the two bags balanced on one hand.

"Syd? Is that you?" a woman called from inside the suite.

"Hey ma! Yeah, it's just Ravi and I." Sydney called, hustling into the hallway with bags trailing behind her. She disappeared for a moment until she called back to him, "Come on in, Ravi! My mom doesn't bite, you know."

Said boy tenaciously walked through the threshold of the apartment and into the hallway, letting his feet guide him wherever Sydney and that mystery woman was. What he found was a small kitchen and dining room, the table designed for two people.

"Ravi, this is my mom, Eileen. Mom, this is _Ravi_." She strained, sharing an internal argument with her mother. The woman nodded, smiling and extended her hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Ravi. Sydney's told me about you."

"_Mother!_"

"What? I'm speaking the truth here." Eileen defended, hands raised. She then coughed heavily as Sydney held her up.

"Just keep coughing, mom. I'll get your water and pills." Sydney reassured as she helped her mother towards a room beside the kitchen. Minutes later, she returned closing the door to the room, sighing. She opened her eyes, taking a sharp breath as she glanced at her watch. "Dammit, I'll be late!"

"Late for _what_, exactly?" Ravi inquired as he followed her into the hallway. Sydney rushed to get books and a bag inside what he presumed to be her room.

"Your sister's _piano lesson, _idiot!" she hissed as he tried to get out of her way. He rose his hands up in defense as she shoved him through the door. "_You_ should know, she's _your_ sister."

"Well _excuse me_ for not remembering!" he said in defense. "It's not like I'm the one teaching her!"

"Oh just hurry up and _hush_!" she instructed as she took his hand. He blushed, thanking the gods that she wasn't looking back towards him. "Do you have the subway fare?"

He shook his head from his reverie. "What?"

"Your _subway fare_. The money you used to _get_ here..?" she pressed on.

"Oh. Yeah, I have that." Ravi nodded as Sydney sighed in exasperation. "You're really impatient, aren't you?"

They took a step onto the platform, waiting for the next train to arrive. "It's not good to be late."

"You sound like the White Rabbit from _Alice in Wonderland._" He commented.

"Well, it's better to worry and get there than not go at all." She inquired.

"True, but you're becoming stressed out. It's never good for anyone." He pointed out.

She sighed exasperatedly, "Do you have an argument for everything?"

"Not _everything _everything." He offered.

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, sighing. "So, what questions _can't _you answer, huh?"

He scraped the bottom of his shoe onto the pavement. "I don't know. Ask a question, any question."

"What's the _second _largest reptile on this planet?" she quizzed him.

He scoffed, looking at her with 100% seriousness. "The Leatherback Sea Turtle. It's the fastest reptile on Earth, and its diet consists mostly of jellyfish."

"_Okay_ then. You sure are a reptile enthusiast… huh." She said looking deep in thought. "Oh, here's a good one: What do you look for in a girl?"

He widened his eyes, turning away while he blushed once again. "Uh, we-well…"

Sydney cried in triumph. "Looks like you _can't_ answer every problem."

Needless to say, she taunted him until they got to the penthouse.

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"So _Ravi_, I heard Sydney goes to your_ school_." Zuri said from her post at the door.

"Yeah, so?" he asked, looking towards her as he cleaned Mrs. Kipling's cage.

She sighed while making large hand gestures. "Well, are you gonna ask her out or _not?!_"

"Ask _who_ out, exactly?" Emma asked, striding to stand beside Zuri.

'_Great, when I don't need them, they're here. When I __**do**__need them, they're out at parties or at a friend's house.'_ He thought. "Well, it isn't any of your business anyways, since I do not like her in that way."

"Well it is when it's _my_ piano teacher, who is in truth very, _very_ talented." Zuri interjected.

"We all know that Zuri. We've heard the girl play. Her dad's a professor in London who teaches at St. Andrew's University for Philosophy and Sociology." Emma stated blatantly.

"How do you know that?" He asked in astonishment.

"Well, we did a little research on Miss Monroe. She's been invited to attend classes and seminars at Julliard." Emma explained. "Oh, and did you know, she's been playing instruments since she was _two years old_? _That_ is amazing."

"Thanks for the information, but it isn't needed." Ravi stated, bustling them out the door.

"Fine, but it's your loss when she gets a boyfriend!" Zuri cried out as he slammed the door to his room.

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"_Boyfriend?_" Sydney asked surprised. "No, I don't have one, nor do I need one in the near future."

"Yes, boyfriend, Syd. You're not a little girl anymore; you need someone to trust enough to live with." Sydney's friend Jamie advised.

"I don't need one. I'm fine by myself." She said as they started walking down the halls.

"But what happens if you need someone to talk to?"

"Then all I have to do is talk to you or my mom, or anybody else I trust that I don't have those kinds of feelings for." She stated quietly.

"Just think about it, Syd! You and your boyfriend, walking hand in hand in Central Park. Or both of you playing the piano together." Jamie suggested.

"If he'd even be able to play an instrument." She pointed out.

"Well that's the spirit! At least you're _thinking_ about boys now."

"Not really, James."

"Well then _what_ are you going to do when prom comes around?"

"We have three years left for that."

"Oh, quit raining on my parade!" Jamie huffed, crossing her arms.

She laughed lightly, "I'm not raining on your parade. I'm bringing a little _reality_ into this situation."

Just as the two girls were crossing a hallway, Sydney bumped into a boy, sending her textbooks in her hands towards the floor. "Sorry! I'm so sorry miss- Sydney?"

"Hey Ravi." She greeted with a smile, picking up her books. "How's it going?"

He bent down, helping her. "Good. You still coming this afternoon?"

She got up, brushing any dirt off of her. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

"Just making sure. See you around!" He called as he rushed to get back to his friends.

Jamie stood beside her, arm on Sydney's shoulder. "And _you_ say you're not into guys."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." She hummed, fingers crossed as she followed her friend to their first period.

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"Syd, can I speak with you for a second?" Eileen called from the kitchen.

Sydney briskly walked down the hallway lined with pictures, sending most of them to shift. "Yeah mom? Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"No, it's nothing about me," She faltered. "Your father called. He asked to speak with you about going to London for the year and study at the University."

"But I'm not of age to go to university let alone leave during the middle of the year." She complained.

"Well, you can always _tell_ him that." The woman suggested.

"But you know how dad is, he either gets his way or no way."

"He might make an exception this time, you never know."

"I'll talk to him when he calls again, I just need to set my priorities now."

"Okay then, but you should ask someone for advice."

"Like who, Jamie? You've _met_ her, mom, I think you know the outcome."

"Then what about that boy, _Robby_, I think it was?"

"_Ravi,_ mom." She sighed. "He has a lot going on in his life; I don't think he'll have enough time to think."

"Just _try_, kiddo." Her mother said, holding her by the shoulders. Sydney nodded gloomily.

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She did try. And it didn't work out as planned.

"So, you're telling me, that your father has invited you to study at St. Andrew's University, and you don't know what to _do_?" Ravi clarified. Sydney merely nodded meekly, expecting a sure-fire answer. "Well, I'd say go for it."

"_What?!"_ She panicked. "You're supposed to be my voice of reason. _You're_ supposed to tell me _not_ to go."

"It's a good opportunity, and we'll all still be here when you get back."

"But so much can happen in a minute, so what would happen in 525, 600 minutes?" she asked softly.

"Sydney," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Cherish the good times you have now. It's not like you'll get bitten by a cobra."

"_What?_"

"You've got more holidays now that you'd be studying at a university. I hear Reading Week is a lot of fun!"

"Ravi, Reading Week is to help with exams. And I'm studying at a prep school, not the actual university."

"But everyone sounds so…_posh_ in England. Why not just enjoy the accent?"

She looked at him wearily. "Really? I'm going to be across the _Atlantic Ocean _and all you care about is the accent?"

"Hey, you can't hate the player, hate the game." He stated, the trill of his Hindi accent shining through.

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As the days passed, Ravi and Sydney began becoming closer and closer. As a result, Jamie and Isaac (Ravi's "brother from another mother," as he called it) became curious, as to what this…_situation_ was.

"Tell me. _Now._" Jamie pressed, slamming her hands against the table.

Sydney pulled out her earbuds. "Tell you _what_, exactly?"

"Tell me what's happening between _you_ and mister _Raj Jr._ over there." She nodded to the boy on the other side of the library, lounging while reading a science textbook.

"First of all, it's _Ravi_," She corrected, "And there's nothing happening. I teach his little sister how to play piano, and he's there."

"But you've been blowing me off for the past _week_-! What is happening between you two?" Jamie exclaimed. The librarian, old and wrinkly, hushed Jamie rudely, sending a sneer her way.

"Like I told you, _nothing's happening_." Sydney said, whispering lightly.

"Tell me that in a year, then I'll believe you." Jamie said, stalking away from her friend as she continued reading her English textbook.

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The same conversation was being held between the two boys, but in different circumstances.

"She's totally into you, dude." Isaac informed his friend as he walked beside him in the cafeteria.

"She's not into me, _dude_." He mocked, sitting down and beginning to pick at his food.

"Well, it looks like it, man. You've been spending a lot of time together these past few days. The club is thinking you're bailing on us because of her." He responded, taking a bite of his sandwich.

"I am not _bailing_ on you. Jessie's been out a lot, so I watch Zuri."

"You have a butler too." Isaac informed him. Ravi gave him a face, astonished. "It isn't like I've _not_ been to your place before. The entire Biology Club has!"

"I guess I've been too busy with Syd a lot." Ravi wondered.

"_Syd_? Dude, you're," he motioned a whipping action, "Whipped."

"I am not _whipped_-! I choose to stay home. Plus, what has the Biology Club been doing in my absence?"

"We've elected a new President and treasurer for next year, so we can start the school year right."

"And who's the President?"

"_You_, dude." He said, pointing his sandwich at him.

"Are you _serious_?" Ravi stated, surprised. Isaac nodded. "_Positive?"_

"Yeah. You've been keeping tabs on all our activities better than Brian, and he's been President for the last two years since the club's been revived at Walden."

"Oh my gosh." He muttered.

"So what do you say, Prez? Are we good?" Isaac asked, eyebrow raised.

"Of course we're _good_! I'm bringing this club to the next level in September!" he exclaimed, fist-bumping his friend as they rejoiced.

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"Sydney, wait up!" Ravi called as the girl exited the library. The librarian didn't appreciate the volume change. Neither did some of the students.

"Hey Ravi." She greeted happily. "So, what's up?"

"I've been thinking…" he started.

"Yeah?" she asked, eyebrow quirked.

"I really need to take you on a date."

"_What?_" She asked, surprised.

"You know, you, me, alone, at the park or something. It's not that hard. I mean, if you've never _been_ on one, you know-"

"I know what a date is," she informed him. "But _why_?"

"Well, since you're leaving for London in a few weeks, I thought I'd make the most of our time together."

"Sure? I mean I guess that we could-" Sydney started.

"Great! I'll pick you up at, I guess around six-ish? Six thirty?"

"Your sister's piano lessons are at four." She informed him.

"Oh, right." He said lamely.

She chuckled. "I'll just stay there and have dinner with everyone."

"Great!" he breathed, smiling. "See you then."

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Sydney came as scheduled, but stayed longer to have dinner with the family. Luke and Emma were free, as well as Jessie, so the family sat at the table, conversing with each other. As soon as the meal began, her phone went off. She excused herself, and answered the phone in the living room area.

"Hello?"

"Is this the daughter of Eileen Monroe?" A gruff voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Yes..?" she asked, hoping it wasn't anything serious.

"Your mother has been admitted into St. James' Hospital, and we're awaiting your arrival to bring her health cards and insurance numbers."

"Okay, I'll have to be there in an hour though."

"Just come as quickly as you can."

"I'll try." She ended. Rushing, she told the clan about the dilemma, and Ravi decided to go along with her for moral support.

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It took them over an hour to go to Sydney's apartment and to the hospital, which were far in proximity from each other. She was tense and anxious as she handed the nurse her mother's identification and insurance cards, then signed the papers. Ravi sat in one of the chairs along the wall, watching her. He thought for a moment, how hard it must be to have a sick mother and a father too far away from home to help. Then, he remembered his old family, the children in the orphanage, Sanjay and Raj, all younger than him wondering when their parents would pick them up. The sad reality was that they were the only children who still had hope, and weren't tainted by the reality of the rest of the orphans.

Sydney sighed deeply, taking a seat next to him. "She's fine for now. They've stabilized her breathing, but they're not sure what happened."

"She'll be okay, Sydney. You needn't worry about her anymore, the doctors here are highly trained professionals."

"I just want her to be okay." She said quietly, choking back tears.

Ravi stood in shock for a minute until he realized that his friend needed some support. He gave her a side hug (albeit fairly stiffly), letting her cry quietly into his shoulder as he stroked her back in circular motions.

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She left. A year ago, Sydney Monroe left with the consent of her mother (who was becoming healthier by the day) to live with her father in London. She tried, honestly, she did, to keep in contact with Ravi, but everything was just a mess of schedules and time changes and extra-curricular activities. He had his Biology Club, she and her piano recitals with the symphony orchestra.

He tried to date again, and a girl actually took a liking to him, but she just wasn't _Sydney_-esque. Lindsey, as she was called, was nothing more of an insecure girl looking to fit into the crowd by having a boyfriend. Communication between them was harsh and sometimes dumb, and she never had that little glint in her eyes like she put you as the main focus, like your opinion _mattered_.

_She_ was set up with many a man by her new friends at the Prepatory Academy. All _posh_ looking boys with egos towering over their IQ levels, acting as if it was her fault every time something went wrong. Like she wasn't one to bite back. She had attained an attitude while in London, after bickering with her father over her choices in courses for school to her teachers calling her "stupid" and "dunce" after stating her opinion on why the Civil War was completely relevant to the morals of humanity, and explaining the potential of every individual in the world for doing something different. During the Christmas holidays, he had gotten word from Jamie that Sydney would be coming back to visit her mother. She also stated something about meeting up with him for hot chocolate and ice skating the day after Christmas, but he was too busy buzzing with excitement that she was coming back to New York.

He busied himself by working his homework so that he would have free time for the holidays, and on the last day of school, he bid a happy holidays to all the Bio Club members, and the rest of his friends and teachers at Walden Academy.

When it came time for Christmas day, he was met with a beautiful surprise on the terrace. Taking his sweatshirt, he walked out onto the frozen balcony. There Sydney stood, back towards him. She was wearing her winter coat with a red beret on atop her head, a stark contrast to her dark hair. Small puffs of air circulated out of her mouth as she looked at the skyline of her home.

"Hey." Ravi stated, breaking the silence.

She turned around smiling, cheeks red with cold. Walking swiftly to him, she held him in an embrace. "Hey! Long time, no see!"

He held her at arm's length. "It's been a while. How've you been in London?"

"Ugh, it's brutal. I can't look at a crumpet the same way again. And don't ask me about the minced pies, I'll end up having some…_odd_ flashbacks." She shuddered.

They laughed together, tears brimmed their eyes. "I thought you'd be here tomorrow..?"

"Oh, did Jamie feed you some false information?" she rolled her eyes. "She and I are going ice skating tomorrow, I came here to spend the day with you."

"B-but what about your mother?" he stuttered, beginning to blush.

"We're having Christmas dinner with our family tonight." She nodded.

"So…" he started.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"I was thinking-" they started saying.

"Uh, you go first. It sounds like something important." Sydney stated.

"Well, I was thinking… we never got to finish that date we tried to have." Ravi started.

"And..?" she asked.

"I was just wondering if-" he stopped mid-sentence.

"-if you wanted a redo?" Sydney offered.

"Yeah, that!" he offered.

"But in chess, there aren't any redos." She pointed out.

"I-I gave up chess." He lied lamely.

"Liar."

"What about you? You've gotten all sassy now." he said, snapping his fingers in a Z formation.

She laughed, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "It's not my fault my teachers have false accusations of me."

"Nobody should."

"Well, it looks like Ravi Ross is being a little sweetheart now, isn't he?"

"Can we just-"

"-Start over?" she finished for him. He nodded meekly, and she offered her hand. "It's Christmas, I'll let it slide _this once_."

As he took her hand, he felt the weight of the last year lift off his shoulders and hoped to greet a new year so long as she was by his side.

**You don't realize how hard I worked on this because I barely looked at it for like three months I just finished this on a whim. But, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you'll forgive me for not posting another chapter for **_**Adaption**_**? I'm just kinda stuck on one point, but I'll make sure I finish it soon. _See you on the flip side!_ (_EDIT_:I AM A CONTROL FREAK AND THAT'S WHY I DELETED THIS STORY I MADE A MISTAKE ON ONE OF THE PARTS AND _DANG IT_, BUT I FIXED IT.)**


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